Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard, nursing a torn labrum in his left shoulder, opted not to play in Sunday's win against the Detroit Pistons and was noncommittal about whether he’d be ready for Tuesday’s road game against the Brooklyn Nets.

“It feels a little bit better but still sore,” Howard said Sunday, according to the Orange County Register. “Certain movements hurt, and I don’t want to go there in any pain or go out there thinking about it too much.”

Dwight Howard is unsure when he will return to the Lakers' lineup after reaggravating the torn labrum in his left shoulder. (AP Photo)

As the Lakers try to fight back into the playoff picture, Howard continues to battle the shoulder injury he suffered the first week in January.

"We'll see how it feels, but right now I'm just going to take it day by day. We have a couple of days in New York to get some good rest and try to get it strong as possible. But the main thing is for the rest of the season. I don't want to have this happen every week or two to where I'm fine and then I take a hard hit and I reaggravate it."

That's what happened Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns, and despite vowing to try and play on, Howard appears to be growing more anxious about reinjuring the shoulder. He hasn’t played since the Suns game, raising the question of whether each aggravation becomes more painful, making him gun-shy.

“It’s still not there yet,” he said. “I’m not going to try to rush myself back and have the possibility of hurting it again. There’s no need for that.”

According to multiple media reports, Howard underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection into the shoulder Saturday in an effort to recuperate more quickly.

And while the tear isn’t going to go away, no matter how long he rests or rehabilitates it, the Register made a key point on the day he took the injection: The injury could be a positive for Howard in regard to earning respect from Kobe Bryant, who played through a labrum tear in the 2003 playoffs.

“Me and Kobe play two different positions,” Howard told the Register. “The position I play, I use a lot of force coming up—whether that’s going up for a dunk or a shot. Hook shots, all that stuff, is this motion right here. It’s a lot of that. Playing in the post is doing this a lot.

“All that stuff, you need your shoulder stable for it. It’s a little bit different than, I would say, a guard position. You’ve got guys 260-270 you’re holding off. You’ve got to be really strong in your shoulder and all that stuff.”

Howard said it hurts him raising his arm up and especially backwards: “A lot of movements I’d be doing in games, trying to block shots, stuff like that.”

Asked if he is viewing surgery in the offseason as an increasing possibility, Howard said: “I don’t even want to think about surgery.”

However, Howard is being encouraged to think about how he plays the game when he returns. His habit of bringing the ball to his waist after an offensive rebound opens him up to defenders stopping him as he tries to go back up, which is how his shoulder has been aggravated multiple times now since the original injury Jan. 4.